This revision of the 2003 set boasts an additional volume. As well as including several hundred new entries, Nash states that scores of updates and error corrections have been made. Up-to-date and well-documented sources, cross-referencing, and an exhaustive set index will be appreciated by researchers. Each volume contains a 7- to 12-page insert of accessible, colorful maps charting voyages, battles, and boundaries, and the evolutions of economy, politics, and populations. Relevant black-and-white photographs—some formal portraits, others depicting candid moments—appear every few pages. Concluding each volume are 20 pages of period documents, including full-text speeches, letters, acts, and agreements. Within the chronological volumes, the signed entries are arranged alphabetically, followed by a further-reading list. Social and political history are covered under such categories as pop culture ("Amusement Parks," "Fashion"); entertainment and government ("First Continental Congress," "U.S. Army"); geography ("Cities and Urban Life," "Mariana Islands"); sports; and literature. Ideas and events beyond the boundaries of America had tremendous impact on shaping the country's development, but the connection between occasional entries in the first volume and American history is murky. For example, a new entry profiles Alfonso de Albuquerque. No mention is made of how this sailor/explorer/administrator, a contemporary of Columbus, is relevant to American history. Also, technology and its role in American cultural history is not well represented. Still, considering the massive amount of expertly compiled and arranged information that is included here, it is hard to quibble about a few questionable editorial decisions.

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